Thread: Community Garden

Today I had a meeting with those in charge of a "community garden" on the site of a large corporate building. This will be the second year of this garden which is engaged by employees. They struggled with water last year and have invited me to design and price a solution over last years tripod impact and soaker hose.

Garden is laid out in 5 rows, 50 feet long and 6 feet wide. This is then split up into 6x10 plots for each individual thus resulting in 25 separate garden plots. My main hurdle is how to price and plan for 25 individual gardens. We agreed that each plot should have its own valve (manual).

I am thinking, and we discussed, that the best option is to let each individual layout their drip tubing once they have set up their garden as there is no way for me to anticipate each person's plans. The only problem is now the design and installation falls onto each individual; not sure if I like that especially for the "its not working right" phone calls I am sure to get.

The only problem is now the design and installation falls onto each individual; not sure if I like that especially for the "its not working right" phone calls I am sure to get.

If you are providing a pressurized mainline to the beds, and they get to install their drip or whatever, there shouldn't be any "its not working right". Think of it this way, you have 25 potential clients where you can design, layout, and install the system in their beds. After install of the lines to the beds, maybe book out a two hour slot once a week or every two weeks, where the gardeners can hire you to help design, or give assistance. Better than going out there many different times when someone wants some advice.

I may have the opportunity for something similar this summer or fall. Let us know how it goes.

Tough to try to anticipate rough treatment. From the old Rainbird xeriscaping catalog are their multiple-emitter heads, fed from filtered reduced-pressure water. Those can be plumbed without any poly upstream of the emitters. Awfully fussy, in terms of individual pieces required, but you would get around breaks on ordinary emitter tubing.